Come Back
by Greenzaku
Summary: Gin and Tousen desert Las Noches together, taking Wonderwice and the Orb of Distortion with them. Their escape fails but Aizen is the least of their troubles. Violence, GinxMatsu, AshidoxRukia, no yaoi. Spoilers for current arc and Diamond Dust movie.
1. Chapter 1

Just trying out a new style of writing as always...this is the first chapter of a multi-part series.

**Warnings:** Some violence, character death, a little angst, a little dark. Massive spoilers for Hueco Mundo arc, Diamondust Rebellion movie.

**Characters/pairings:** Mostly Gin and Tousen, but also many others. Gin/Matsumoto for now, no others planned at the moment. No yaoi.

**Disclaimer:** Sometimes I don't know if Tite Kubo owns Bleach, or if its the other way around. I prefer to think that he's become a victim of fanservice such as this.

* * *

"Wonderwice, its time to go."

The arrancar looked up at Tousen in the dim confines of his room. In one corner, the shadowy shapes of a food dish and a bowl of water could be made out in the gloom. A clawed hand picked some grime off the sole of one foot as he murmured quietly in assent.

"Ahhh. Urhhh…?" He turned his head from side to side questioningly, scanning the room for something.

"I don't know where Gin is, but we'll meet him soon enough. Come. Please." Though Tousen's tone would have sounded neutral if anyone else listened, Wonderwice's keen hearing could detect a note of urgency, even worry, in the voice of his friend. He felt torn between his primal horror of Gin and his desire to stay by Tousen's side. Spindly limbs moved downward as Wonderwice pushed himself off the cold floor, but he did not move forward from where he was previously sitting and facing Tousen's back. Tousen had not turned to face him at all during the conversation; but this was not due to any disrespect on his part – a blind man could not be expected to make eye contact and even Wonderwice's intellect grasped the fact on a subconscious level.

"…hnnn…" came his nervous reply.

"I will protect you." Tousen's quiet, whispered promise was enough to draw the arrancar to him; so great was Wonderwice's trust. "Thank you, Wonderwice. I cannot leave without you." He didn't have time to explain that Gin's constant company was something Wonderwice would have to put up with for a while, if they survived the next few hours. They shuffled out of the door and entered one of the many corridors of Las Noches that were indistinguishable to all except its inhabitants. Raw reiatsu clashed and thundered overhead as powerful combatants raged in the floors above them. At least three espada were already down since Ichigo's arrival and chaos still prevailed. Below the espada's living quarters however, the fortress was eerily silent.

Sliding into a pocket in his robes, Tousen's fingers closed around a small, object that despite his delicate tactile senses, seemed to be as hard as a diamond, soft as a baby's hand; while being neither and both a cube and a sphere at once. The Hougyokyu throbbed with raw power, and Tousen could not help but hold back a shudder himself. It was too late to turn back now. Somewhere up ahead, Ichimaru Gin awaited them.

* * *

In the equally deserted main kitchen of Las Noches, Gin's pale hands drifted spider-like amidst jars and containers, deftly palming choice morsels to complement the iron rations in his bag. Although this was nothing compared to stealing the Hougyokyu, he still had to be subtle. Would the loss of another two dried persimmons be too noticeable? The hand hovered indecisively over the open jar before plunging within and emerging with three of the preserved fruits; before reluctantly releasing the smallest. 

But persimmons are not particularly small fruit, even when dried. Subtracting the two largest ones remaining in the jar left a space that looked uncomfortably obvious to Gin. So he retrieved the one he just dropped, and left behind the one that was medium-sized in relation to the other two. He tore his gaze away from the jar and slipped the two chosen persimmons into his bag, joining the other twenty-six already there. Satisfied, Gin walked a few steps away from the shelf with…only to dart back and snatch the whole jar, smiling as he always did but also relieved that Tousen was not witness to the silly act. Once again, bony digits closed over the lid, and stopped.

Something was wrong. The cool glass of the jar carried a slight tremor to his fingertips, and Gin double-checked to make sure his reiatsu was so heavily suppressed that he and Tousen had to agree to meet at a specific place and time rather than rely on probing for each other's presence. Up in the surveillance room, Yami sat comfortably ensconced away from the violence and watched looped footage of peacefully empty corridors, gladly provided by Gin. The jar, indeed the very air itself, now hummed and throbbed with raw energy. The escape was well-planned…so who was approaching him now?

Gin's eyes nearly opened wide with horror as Captain Zaraki Kenpachi roared past the kitchen door like a tsunami tinged with bloodlust and given humanoid form. He ducked behind the door at the same time, probably too slowly; but Kenpachi cared only for foes he could see and Gin fortunately was not in that category. Instead he heard the bloodcurdling screams of arrancar futilely running before Kenpachi's manic laughter, and recognized the voices of each of Zomari LeRoux's fraccion as they were cut down in rapid succession. The pale-haired former captain hardly bothered to shrug at their demise; if anything, Kenpachi's whirlwind attack probably prevented them from arriving at the kitchen and possibly discovering him in the pantry. Not that it would have mattered, Gin thought to himself; as his free hand, the one not wrapped around the persimmon jar, stroked the handle of Shinsou. _Unlike you, Tousen, I've no compunctions against bloodshed in the name of saving my ass…_

"KEN-CHAN!!! Look…!"

"What the fuck is it now?" Kenpachi's voiced boomed.

"Kitchen…! SWEETS!!!"

Without waiting for her captain's reply, Lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru bounced into the room.

* * *

Wonderwice bounced too, not with the carefree steps Yachiru took, but with the gangly, uneven shuffle of an oversized grasshopper. Just a couple of steps ahead of him, Tousen strode confidently towards the intersection where Gin had arranged to meet them. Almost predictably, he wasn't there. To Tousen, this meant one of two things. The first possibility was that Gin was either dead or delayed for some reason; and the second was that he'd backed out of the plan like the coward that he was. Either way, Tousen could not hope leave him behind to spill the beans to Aizen, and Wonderwice could not hide himself from the intruders, let alone Aizen. They were on their own. He pulled the arrancar into a nearby alcove and drew Suzumushi in readiness to defend them both. Above him, Tousen could hear a loud but distant scraping, groaning sound. The great marble doors of Szayel's laboratory were being opened, signaling his defeat through the invasion of his most personal space. Steadily, Tousen began counting down. Gin had exactly five minutes.

* * *

Yachiru rummaged through the cabinets, happily devouring anything sugary she could find. Outside, Kenpachi had stormed off to torment more arrancar. From his precarious perch in the vaulted ceiling, Gin watched with growing disgust as she consumed a whole jar of honey in one gulp after absentmindedly shoving the cupboard it was in to the floor and scattering unwanted, non-sweet items everywhere on the tiles. Without pause she proceeded to attack Halibel's stash of candied plums, before tearing open the industrial refrigerator with brute force and throwing out all of its contents except for the marshmallow-like rice cakes; which vanished the same way the plums and honey went. Next, Gin could actually hear the crunching as she discovered a bag of boiled sweets. At least he saved the persimmons. 

His grin diminished slightly when he realized how ridiculous his situation must have looked. He was a captain, a lord of Las Noches, and had no reason to glue himself to the ceiling to hide from the brat below. Oh, yes…it was actually Kenpachi he was more wary of, but the barbarian was entertaining himself elsewhere, wasn't he? Gin released one hand to grasp Shinsou again, this time drawing it silently from its sheath. With a single word, he could eliminate Yachiru where she stood; or rather, squatted, amidst scattered toffee caramels. Gin gauged that he had just one shot to kill Yachiru instantly, before she screamed her beloved Ken-chan down onto his head.

Carefully, he braced himself in position and aimed Shinsou where it would impale her instantly once it extended. On a stable surface, it would have been easy to simply point and shoot, but the need to cling to the ceiling in an awkward, upside-down position made things more difficult. Just as he had Yachiru lined up at the tip of the weapon, she suddenly looked up.

"KEN-CHAN!!! Don't leave me behind…I want to play too!!!"

With a speed that surprised even Gin, she scooped all the caramels into her robes and flash-stepped like a sugar-fuelled pink rocket out of the door. Gin waited to make sure the little terror was well and truly gone before he sheathed Shinsou and descended to the ground. At almost exactly the same time, Tousen sauntered in with Wonderwice. Five minutes were up.

Though he was certain that Tousen could not actually see the wreckage, Gin knew that the smells of smashed eggs, thawing fish, broken timber and other kitchen mishaps were readily detected. The other man scanned the room before addressing Gin in his usual, deep but toneless voice.

"I trust you've had enough time to gather rations, including your precious persimmons. Let's go."

"This mess ain't mine. Eh, ya stopped to bring yer halfwit pet too. We're even."

Immediately, Gin ducked aside, fully expecting Tousen to level Suzumushi at his throat for the comment. To his surprise, the shorter man did no such thing, and Gin had to remind himself that Tousen's policy of least bloodshed _meant_ least bloodshed, as far as the rigidly self-righteous twit was concerned.

"Gin, I'll let it be known that I prefer Wonderwice's intelligent company over yours. I could leave you here to die, if you wish." The latter statement was white lie, Tousen knew, but one he judged to be harmless enough. The trio trotted briskly now, to the exit; and freedom.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, yer can't leave me cos yer touching sense of justice won't let ya leave behind the one who helped ya escape, ne?" Gin's smile twisted into a smirk, and then froze. In the junction up ahead, a very familiar orange-haired teenager and his oversized sword bolted past, followed closely by a sleek feline shape with a blue mane. On the latter's back sat Aizen's female prisoner. Amazingly, neither Grimmjow , Ichigo nor Orihime seemed to notice them as they charged towards the same exit. Wonderwice ehhed and oohed quietly to himself in surprise.

"How interesting, Kaname-san. It seems we're not the only ones deserting Aizen…" murmured Gin. "Aizen-sama's got ta choices ta keep 'im occupied now, the girl or us."

Though he wouldn't admit it, Tousen's heart was thumping wildly in his chest. If multiple captains had followed Ichigo to Las Noches, he was far more prepared than Gin for being ambushed around every corner. Which was exactly what happened…

"KUCHIKI-SAMA…!!! IT'S THEM!!!" A shrill voice suddenly piped up behind them. Tousen and Wonderwice broke into a run without turning back, but Gin risked a backward glance, expecting to see Rukia. Instead his eyes opened a crack in surprise as he spied Kotetsu Isane actually raising her pathetic zanpakutou in pursuit. More importantly though, was the fact that Byakuya was _right_ behind her.

"Bankai," uttered Tousen, at the same moment that the cloud of deadly pink petals flew towards them. Blackness rapidly expanded outward from the man in front as the Kuchiki noble's onslaught rushed towards him from behind; but Suzumushi's sphere of sensory deprivation reached Gin first. For a few unnerving seconds, he just kept running straight ahead in darkness and silence so total that he could not sense his own heartbeat. Thankfully, Gin realized that Senbonzakura's petals could not be guided if Byakuya could not see them. Then with a sensation akin to emerging from a tunnel he never saw the light at the end of, Gin sailed out of the opening created by Tousen's garganta and onto the sands of Hueco Mundo.

Before him, Tousen and Wonderwice had stopped running. But Gin didn't need to see either of their expressions to realize that while they remained alive, their escape was a failure. For one thing, Tousen was supposed to have taken them directly to the human world where a Japan Airlines flight to New Zealand awaited them. For another, judging from the way the dark-skinned man was digging frantically through his pockets, the Hougyokyu was missing too.

* * *

A/N: As you can see, Aizen's got his ways of preventing the theft of the orb...to be explained next chapter. 


	2. Chapter 2

The desert of Hueco Mundo lacked the oppressive, scorching sun of its Earth counterparts; a factor that was both a blessing and a curse for the three figures now fleeing Las Noches on foot. It was a blessing as the temperature was comfortably cool for travel at all times; but as Gin pointed out, a curse as it would prolong their deaths from thirst. They carried only a day's worth of the precious liquid between them. Wonderwice was unaffected, the hollow's physiology having adapted to survive in the dry environment. Returning to Las Noches, even under the pretext of having left to pursue Ichigo, was no longer an option. Whatever magical link that prevented the Hougyokyu from leaving the perimeter of Las Noches would also alert Aizen of its attempted theft, and the parties responsible.

Not that the latter would have been necessary. Only Tousen could have ignored the multiple illusory Hougyokyu Aizen had placed in appropriate locations in the vast complex; a trick that successfully fooled Patros and his arrancar rebels not long ago. Only Tousen could have chosen the genuine one, placed in a comparatively inconspicuous location in an alcove along the hallway that led to Aizen's bedchamber. And apart from several arrancar and Aizen himself, only Tousen knew how to open a garganta using the arcane devices built into the doorways of several of the main exits.

Ever the pragmatist, Gin pondered instead the possibility of turning Tousen over to Aizen, since all of the factors considered placed the blame squarely on the blind man's shoulders. Then he remembered the rations he stole.

"Wonderwice-sama, could ya help me carry this?" Slim fingers proffered the large sling bag formerly slung across Gin's narrow back, opened slightly to offer a tempting glimpse of the goodies within. Tousen continued walking ahead of them. The arrancar leaned forward out of curiosity and Gin tried to gently slip the incriminating evidence over his shoulder, only to have Wonderwice turn away at the last moment and lunge to one side. There was a soft crunching noise and Gin watched as the tail and hind leg of a tiny hollow lizard vanished into Wonderwice's mouth. He purred and gave a self-satisfied grin that mimicked Gin's own.

"There's no reason to make him carry our burden, Gin. Wonderwice catches his own meals." Of course, Tousen was aware of the exchange, Gin reflected; while at the same time being too wary to offer to carry the entire sack of rations himself. It might have just been his imagination, but Gin couldn't help pondering if he was starting to sound like Aizen. He was starting to grow annoyed at the thought when Tousen turned slightly and motioned at him to come over.

"I'll help."

Gin's brows laced slightly in suspicion and scrutinized the shorter man carefully for any hint of trickery. The wind was beginning to blow now, and the fine sand of Hueco Mundo stirred and swirled, abrading his shins where the wind lifted the edge of his hakama. Tousen undid his familiar orange scarf and retied it over his lips and nose like a desert nomad, to avoid inhaling the quartz grains. But the same gesture made it harder for Gin to read his expression while Tousen's milky, sightless eyes betrayed no emotion either. As he approached uncertainly, Gin suddenly stumbled as hot, searing pain sliced deeply through his right thigh and down into the kneecap.

Tousen flash-stepped back to his previous position and wiped the blood off Suzumushi using Gin's rations sack. To his credit, Gin did not open his eyes in horror, but alarm wiped the near-perpetual grin from his face as he clutched the crippled limb with one hand and Shinsou with the other. Wonderwice didn't seem to care, if in fact he noticed; his attention was fixated on a hollow millipede that had just vanished disappointingly down its burrow.

"Now you can return to Las Noches and report your failure to capture me, and look as if you actually tried."

"Aw, whatever happened to 'least bloodshed'?" Gin winced and grinned again, realizing that the injury was inflicted with such precision that it bled dramatically, and created a limp; while missing major arteries and nerves. It also hurt like hell.

Tousen simply shrugged, but his tone sounded almost dejected. "If you want to go back, do so quickly. Then I will not have to stray from the path of least violence any further by killing you." Wonderwice, sensing Gin's animosity, loped away and over the crest of a dune to stand by his side.

"Fine, fine…take it however ya will…got no pity at all fer a poor man 'an his heavy load…" Gin's voice lowered to a whisper, as if mumbling his distaste, but Tousen heard the faint but familiar syllables and knew better. As Shinsou's blade lengthened to spear its target, he shoved Wonderwice down so that the arrancar tumbled behind the dune and away from Gin's line of sight. The weapon whipped like a viper's strike through thin air and withdrew just as quickly.

Before Gin could readjust and aim again, both Wonderwice _and_ Tousen were gone. He let out a barely perceptible snarl through still-upcurled lips and readied himself for their retaliatory attack, but their reiatsu was fast disappearing in the distance and Gin couldn't dash forward through the loose sand without stumbling. Though the sound of his voice was fading too, Tousen's final shout hung in the air like a victor's flag.

"You attacked Wonderwice instead of me because you know I value my friend more than my life - proof that you value malice over even vengeance. Above both is justice. You cannot defeat me until you have grasped that fact."

* * *

Tousen and Wonderwice had barely traveled for an hour when the third presence began stalking them. It was too weak to be Gin, probably weaker than even a Numeros arrancar, Tousen surmised, and definitely not a threat. The presence seemed content to tail them from afar, disappearing only when Wonderwice bounded over to investigate. Tousen pretended not to notice – he had to conserve his energy before he could meet a powerful enough menos and convince it to make a garganta and let him follow it to Earth. This would not be an easy task – Aizen had already won the vast majority of them to his side. 

For the next couple of hours, he pondered who or what his unseen stalker might be. The barely-perceptible sound of its footsteps revealed that the being moved as if it was used to the terrain and alternated between quadruped or bipedal gaits, depending on the slope angle and amount of cover available. Sometimes it stopped abruptly, reversed or sidestepped; always maintaining a single step of distance away from complete visual concealment to evade Wonderwice, who was now obsessed with trying to root it out.

At some point, the presence circled to the front and began moving ahead of them, instead of following from behind. Then the wind suddenly changed, and the stalker's movements raised a small cloud of white dust that marked where it desperately ducked below the lip of a dune. Wonderwice gave a mew of triumph and bolted forward. A scuffle ensued while Tousen patiently waited for the outcome. Wonderwice's excited growls were punctuated with very human-sounding grunts of exertion, and…was that swearing he heard? The blind former captain was now genuinely interested and climbed his side of the dune to see what, or who it was.

"Wonderwice…what is it? Can you show me?"

The arrancar had pinned himself squarely on top of a man-sized figure that was now sprawled on the ground, mostly covered by a ragged fur cloak festooned with skulls. A worn-looking katana lay a few feet away. The being's horned, hollow skull lifted to face Tousen, but before it could do anything else, Wonderwice uhhed gently and casually yanked the skull off with his bare hands, grinning at Tousen after doing exactly what he'd been told to do.

Kaname Tousen's jaw went slack with disbelief despite the complete faith he had in his own senses – after all, he was immune to even Aizen's illusions. There was no mistaking the now-unmasked reiatsu that emanated from the shinigami lying before him.

"W-Wonderwice…release him. No bloodshed please, he's a friend." The arrancar hopped back, tongue lolling like a happy dog. A friend…yay!

"Please rise," Tousen urged, "Kanou Ashido…I thought you lost forever…"

Ashido stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes before bowing in greeting. "I am overjoyed to see you again, my Captain."

* * *

Gin lost track of how many hours he'd spent limping slowly towards Las Noches. It might have been six, or seven, or eight...Tousen's attempt at a garganta had deposited them far from the place. He knew without a doubt that Aizen saw the earlier exchange…Aizen's eyes were everywhere on the desert sands; and Gin kept himself occupied pondering why he hadn't sent anyone to confront him yet. Maybe Aizen wanted him to limp back painfully as a punishment. Or perhaps the former captain of the Fifth was preoccupied with reclaiming Orihime instead and rallying any surviving espada. 

Judging from the height of the trees growing nearest the complex, he had at least three more hours of this torture to go. Shunpo would allow him to cover the same distance in less than three minutes, but the ability relied on being able to actually walk straight to begin with. Every step he took brought a fresh stab of agony until Gin felt like his lower leg was about to simply give way and snap off; even if the bleeding had subsided to a trickle. _Keep thinking about Aizen and Las Noches,_ he reminded himself, _it will take your mind off the injury and you will travel further for the distraction_. And once he returned, what lay in store? With Szayel's demise and the loss of Orihime, getting medical attention would be inconvenient…

_Ssuzumusshi iss a mere inssect. We sshall crussh him next time…Masster…_

In the back of Gin's mind, Shinsou's endless coils slid against one another. Though the dark naga's head remained hidden, Gin had long since grown adept at discerning the frequent mocking tone in the spirit's voice; a bitter parody of the simple-minded regard, even affection, that many other zanpakutou had for their wielders.

"Go swallow yer own tail first…that day will be long in comin'. Fer now, it's back to 'ol 'Aizen-sama' if ya wanna live."

_Yess, Aizen-ssama. Of coursse, Aizen-ssama. Everything you ssay, Aizen-ssama. Yessir, yessir three bagss full, Aizen-ssa-_

Shinsou's words were abruptly cut off when a hand plunged into the writhing mass and emerged clutching his neck and what passed for his head. Gin kept smiling as he slowly clenched his fist tighter, causing the zanpakutou to let out a choking gasp as a shudder passed through the ebony scales. A gruesome mockery of a human face, framed by oily black hair and fleshless lips and nose, turned empty eye sockets to face the shinigami.

"Changin' the topic now, are ya? Yer as blind as Tousen and as retarded as Wonderwice. At least I ain't signing my own death warrant." Tousen may have outranked him through seniority in Sereitei, Gin reflected, but not in Hueco Mundo and certainly not now. Not when one knew what Aizen did to traitors. He released Shinsou (figuratively). The zanpakutou spent a few moments regaining his breath before continuing, "_Glad to ssee you admit your cowardiss, Masster. Sso then, remind uss, why did you rissk death to leave Lass Nochess to begin with? Hmm?"_

For a long time, Gin could only respond with silence. Perhaps it was the pain of his wound; or perhaps Shinsou had raised a good point, but this was a rarity for him. Outwardly, his body continued its weary trudge towards what remained of Las Noches after the substitute shinigami, his friends and what seemed like half the command structure of the Gotei 13 had a field day trashing it. He was forced to admit he had no explanation except that…

_It wass for her. Your Eve, and our fall. And you were the one who offered the forbidden fruit. Curssed are we; for me to crawl upon my belly and bite the dusst when sshe opened your eyess…_

Gin stopped dead in his tracks, his resolve to toil his way back into Aizen's domain instantly evaporating as Shinsou's voice trailed away in his subconscious. To return to Las Noches meant that he would never see her again. The captain who feared death the most felt himself losing the will to live as well; and with it, the strength to keep moving forward. He surrendered to exhaustion as he tried to sit but instead toppled onto the desert sand. Gin wasn't able to simply curl into a ball and cry the way his former lieutenant could when he thought no one was looking – he was prouder than that; but the anguish in his voice when he called Matsumoto's name betrayed tears that his eyes were shut too tightly to shed.

* * *

**A/N:** I swear, I never planned for Shinsou to come out like that, but somehow it just fell into place. Ashido is an anime-only character present from episodes 146-148 I think. 


	3. Chapter 3

For someone who hadn't seen his captain in almost two hundred and fifty years, Ashido found he had surprisingly little to say to the man. He often fondly imagined a warm reunion. But after the initial enquiries as to who was still around and who wasn't in the Ninth, Ashido began to realize that all this was small talk compared to the troubling questions that loomed at the back of his mind. Where was Tousen's Gotei 13 cloak? Why was he traveling in the company of a powerful arrancar, however mentally deficient Wonderwice was? Did all this have something to do with Rukia and her companions; or perhaps the friend they had arrived in Hueco Mundo to save?

More importantly, did Tousen's arrival have something to do with the overall increase in the power of the menos lately? The previous months had seen the inhabitants of the Menos Forest wax in strength, numbers and malice; almost culminating in his death when he turned back to allow Rukia to flee. It had been a hard fight but that adjuchas ultimately yielded a skull to replace the one she broke earlier. Ashido found himself yearning to meet Rukia again; though he was savvy and put it all down to simply having lacked female company for too long. Such irrational longings were impossible to fulfill; and therefore an unneeded distraction and drain on his energies - which were better put to the task of immediate survival. So it had been for more than two centuries, and the presence of his captain would not necessarily change things.

Ashido's mind turned instead to Tousen. After some deliberation, Ashido decided that the presence of Wonderwice alone did not make Tousen suspect. Rukia's team had been traveling in the company of benign hollows too, including an arrancar. Long years of painfully-honed gut instinct still told Ashido that he could put his trust in them.

But those same instincts were gnawing at him now; and for some reason, Ashido was feeling uneasy around his captain.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tug at his sleeve. Wonderwice wanted his attention. The arrancar held up the adjuchas skull and grinned widely as he handed it back to Ashido. As the shinigami picked windblown sand out of his ears before placing the skull back over his face, he also couldn't help realizing he found the arrancar's company more reassuring than Tousen's. _We all wear masks, _Ashido pondered. _What are you hiding, my captain? _

Tousen heard Ashido slide his mask back into place. He welcomed the unexpected company, even if Ashido's long isolation had caused him to forget many of the polite gestures of etiquette that every other shinigami took for granted. For instance, Ashido had an irritating tendency to scurry into his path at awkward moments, rather than tailing behind his superior, which was customary in Sereitei. He even called Tousen by his first name a few times, though he felt inclined to be forgiving and did not reprimand Ashido for his rudeness. Finally, the unranked shinigami picked and scratched at his nose, ears, scabs…even his _groin_ with complete lack of discretion; at one point, Tousen swore Ashido even ate the disgusting results of his bodily excavations. Uncivilized as he was, Tousen realized that cooperating with Ashido would vastly improve his own chances of survival. The usefulness of someone who had found a way to survive alone in the harshness of Hueco Mundo far outweighed the fact that he looked and acted like a furry hollow. As they walked down another dune however, Tousen realized the biggest problem with Ashido wasn't his lack of personal hygiene…how in the world had he survived two hundred and fifty years _without water_? And just as importantly, did Ashido know the truth about Aizen and his presence here?

In uneasy silence punctuated by the sound of Wonderwice making baby talk with Ashido, the two men soldiered on until moonset, eager to leave the desert behind. It wasn't until after they had their fill of the rations and had drunk a cupful of water each that they had the chance to discuss the issues that disturbed them the most.

* * *

When Gin opened his slit eyes again, the first thing he became aware of was the sensation of movement. The blurred shapes of dunes and silica trees steadily drifted past. His leg did not hurt as much now. Perhaps he was finally dying; the particles of his soul drifting like a dust devil until he coalesced again, reborn in the human world. At the very least, he had been spared torture by Aizen or the surviving arrancar. The thought of death filled him with intense dread…it always did; the pain of the transition, the loss of his amassed spiritual power and knowledge, the loss of the memories of the few people that ever meant anything to him. Images of Matsumoto flashed through his mind's eye again, along with deep regret and longing. Despite his terror, Gin knew that this was his last chance to remember her before his consciousness would finally fade and be forgotten in itself.

He remembered when he first saw her; thin, pale and stumbling as she walked. The area of Rukongai where they lived wasn't particularly steeped in poverty, but then it had been plagued by a ten-year drought. While the mundane souls around them merely grumbled about the lack of water to wash clothes and bathe in, Matsumoto had slowly starved; drained by her own spiritual power. When she suddenly collapsed on the dry riverbed, it took Gin at least half and hour to decide what to do with her.

Up to that point, young Gin had always been a survivor. The people of Rukongai were suspicious and frequently hostile to those who wielded spiritual powers, and so someone as powerful as Gin survived best when alone and without a conscience. Fruit from the trees and unwary animals were all grist to his mill, though once he cleaned out most of the domestic beasts on a street he was forced to move on or risk getting lynched. And during a particularly harsh winter, he even tried corpses…Thus Gin did not blame himself for his hesitation in saving Matsumoto. Shinsou's disembodied consciousness spoke to him even then, and the serpent granted him a life free of guilt and regret so they could both survive.

But when Gin approached Matsumoto's still form with his skinning knife in hand, her eyes opened again. In those eyes, he saw his own reflection; and while one would be tempted to assume something romantic happened between the two; Gin always knew it was much simpler than that. For the first time, young Gin became aware that his own needs extended to more than just food, water and shelter. He felt lonely. Furthermore, he became truly aware that consciousness existed in people other than himself. Did this girl feel loneliness too, aside from hunger? Either way, Gin's last dried persimmon satisfied the same longing in them both. Matsumoto rose again; and in true dramatic fashion, the drought broke that very night.

Once the pair heard of and entered the Academy, their most basic needs were met. Matsumoto grew taller and…wider, in a spectacularly attractive fashion. She was popular too. Gin shared none of her allure, but at least he gained weight. Matsumoto still showered him with gratitude and affection, but now he did not need her anymore. Especially since a certain captain's shikai could create illusions so realistic that her ability to satisfy him paled in comparison. He was small fry compared to Tousen back then, of course, but gradually caught up. Aizen gave him everything he wanted, but not all of what he needed. Power, knowledge, command…it was all his; but the more Gin received, the more he feared the bespectacled fiend as well. Every secret Aizen shared with him, every ounce of trust, became an unspoken death sentence if he disobeyed. Finally Gin found himself in Hueco Mundo, a lonely prisoner of his own greed; and dying just when he had the courage to return.

_Yess, if only you could have held on a little longer…_

The surface beneath him seemed to undulate. Gin dimly wondered if a zanpakutou came to bear its dying wielder away to his next life. Deep down, he stung at the realization of his own cowardice, but fear of death still had his uses.

"I'm still holding on…" With that, Gin dug his bony fingers, tipped with pointed nails, into Shinsou's leathery hide. It convulsed violently.

_Huh…? I didn't mean…_

"**BAWABAWAAAA**…!!!"

"Icthimaru Gin'th awake!"

Gin suddenly realized that he wasn't dying. Reflexively he let go of Bawabawa, who continued moaning piteously and making a fuss that was way out of proportion to the injury sustained. Before he could remember the severity of his wound, Gin leapt upright and found that it really, really didn't hurt anymore. The scar was covered by a liberal quantity of semi-solid, bad smelling, and sticky _gunk_. Said gunk was immediately deduced to have come from the former espada seated before him. Nell Tu drew herself up to her full diminutive stature before almost bowling the surprised Gin off Bawabawa with a flying hug. Pesche Gatische and Dondochakka Bilstin shared a serious glance with each other before advancing on Gin as well.

"Greetings. We of the Mighty Pesneldo…"

"…Great Donelpe Desert Gang…"

"…Brothers, proffer our generous assistance. In return…"

"…exchange, we demand to know your motives…"

"…reasons for betraying Sosuke Aizen."

"…Aizen Sosuke."

Before Gin could decipher the garbled speech, Pesche and Dondochakka turned to cast vicious glares at each other and argue not-so-discreetly over who actually spoke first. Though they were probably the most pathetic sentient creatures in all of Hueco Mundo, Gin needed allies and Nel's healing abilities. With renewed hope, Gin spent the following hours telling his tale and directing Bawabawa to retrace Tousen and Wonderwice's route.

"When we meet thith Wonderwithe…can you play tag with usth?"

Aizen allowed their escape and Gin had never felt better just being alive. Still, the question conjured images in the former captain's mind that made Gin wonder if he was better off dead.

* * *

Fortunately for Gin, it was a much more subdued and exhausted party that finally arrived at the campsite shared by Tousen, Wonderwice and Ashido. The latter was gagged and bound by a sturdy, glowing rope of kidou, eyes slitted in unconcealed hatred directed towards his dark-skinned captor. Wonderwice lay curled around him, drifting in and out of sleep in order to murmur comfortingly into his ear. Tousen himself lay in his bedroll a few metres away. As usual, it was impossible to tell if he was asleep.

He sat up when Gin and Nell's company dismounted, wearily reaching for Suzumushi at the same time. Firelight danced off chocolate-colored muscles as he rose to greet Gin.

"Ichimaru Gin, I do not blame you if you have returned to settle a score with me. Believe me when I say that I am pleased to see you alive still, and in the company of folk who are no longer allies of Aizen. I only ask that we resolve our differences away from where innocent parties can get hurt…"

"Aww, don'tcha worry Kaname-kun. I gotta thank ya fer makin' me come to my senses and helpin' us escape. Unlike ya, I've still got my reasons fer leavin'. Without yer precious Hougyokyu, we 'dun have any bargaining chip fer Ol' Yama. 'Till we settle that 'lil detail together…hurtin'ya simply ain't on my mind. Peace?"

Gin had his trademark grin back. He held up two fingers of his right hand and then slowly opened his fist. Tousen cautiously reached for it, the other hand on his zanpakutou. If Gin was lying, then the suvivor would be decided by a quickdraw. As if sensing his distrust, Gin grinned wider and held up his other hand, casually flourishing it to display that it was empty. Slowly Tousen's drew near, and with a speed that surprised him he found it enveloped in Gin's.

"Peace."

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry if this chapter was rather angsty, though I've spiced it up with some humor. You can't help having humor with the Desert Brothers. Also, though I've not considered it previously, when looking at how I've characterized Ashido and the general outline of the story I've realized that including an Ashido/Rukia romance would not be entirely out of place. I'm still wondering if I should though. 


	4. Chapter 4

Erratum: In Chapter 2 and this chapter, Ashido's surname has been changed to the correct one from official sources.

I understand that the canon storyline has obviously deviated from this fanfic already, so perhaps the reader should think of this fic as a 'what if' scenario.

Also, the Diamonddust movie spoilers begin in this chapter.

* * *

"GIN! Whath happening to Athido?! Why did you tie him up?" Nell's cry interrupted Tousen and Gin's exchange. The female arrancar was hopping up and down next to the bound captive; and even Wonderwice looked worried as he got up and stepped back.

The redhead frothed at the edges of his gag as he thrashed furiously on the ground. Simultaneously, both Gin and Tousen cast crawling rope kidou on him to reinforce the bonds that were weakening under his frenzied struggles. Guttural noises could be heard coming from his throat. Heedless of the slashes and burns the restraints were inflicting as a result of his movements, Ashido continued to writhe like a trapped animal.

"So, who's this charming guest we got 'ere?"

"Gin, meet Kanou Ashido. He's been living in Hueco Mundo and slaying menos for the last two and a half centuries, and the last shinigami from the Ninth who has any loyalty left for his former captain." Tousen's voice carried a note of melancholy.

"Yer one to talk 'bout loyalty…"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ATHIDO?!" Pesche and Dondochakka darted forward to grab Nell before she could wrap herself around Tousen's leg.

"…and Ashido has it in droves." Tousen finished smoothly for Gin. "I told him everything, Gin; because truth is to men like Ashido what justice is to me. But still he accepts us; and not just because he has _no choice_." He left Gin's side to crouch beside the captive and resume stroking him as Wonderwice did previously. The struggles slowed but did not cease. Far from being surprised, Gin slowly clapped his hands together in understanding.

"It all makes sense, ne? The 'thinigami' Nell's been talkin' about that aided Ichigo's attack on Las Noches. Fer a while ya lost me, Tousen. And 'ere was I thinkin' you'd gotten us a hostage."

"Far from it. He is willing to lead us to safe harbour. _Shhh_…_Ashido, listen to me_…"

"Sereitei? It ain't that easy, ya know. He's got another plan?"

"Not Sereitei, even if Yamamoto is willing to pardon us and Shuuhei kneels at my feet again. _Nell, please stop screaming_," Tousen rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Gin, you've come at a bad time for Ashido, but he should be fine later. We're lucky he actually _has_ another plan… we can't bring a vizard back."

At this point, Ashido lifted his head and affixed his gaze on Gin; streaks of saliva mixed with sand adhering to his chin. Milky white pupils stood out starkly against black eyeballs.

* * *

"Kuchiki-taichou and Isane-fukutaichou were certain it was them."

"I don't know if that's a good thing, Shuuhei."

Lieutenant Kira Izuru of the Third Division eyed his friend cautiously. Hisagi Shuuhei had been galvanized into action by the news that Gin and Tousen had been sighted; and he charged into Hueco Mundo with a zeal that was frankly rather alarming. Even worse was the fact that the immense Sajin Komamura had joined the hunt, opting to bring his pet instead of his lieutenant. He turned back to Shuuhei.

"Shouldn't we be bringing Iba?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"His captain's here. Besides, he's got to be a little upset that Komamura-taichou chose the dog over him."

"Well at least we've got Chikako. I think she's a better choice than Iba. Different, at the very least."

"No offense intended; but the only difference I see is in their relative strengths. Do you really feel your third seat can replace a lieutenant?"

"The difference is whether we need two sets of restraints to bring them back, or a few body bags."

There was a long pause.

"I get your point. No wait…why did you say a 'few' as opposed to 'one'? We could carry a dead Iba, but we can't kill the captains…"

"He'd get _us_ all killed." Shuuhei drew a finger across his neck for emphasis.

The other lieutenant's brow furrowed with puzzlement. To the keen-minded shinigami, Hisagi didn't sound like he was making much sense at all.

"But if Iba got us all killed, then we won't be able to carry our own dead bodies…"

Shuuhei rolled his eyes. It was easier than admitting he'd made a verbal blunder. But it was also true that unlike himself and Kira, Iba would have no qualms about using lethal force; a plan that was sure to backfire on the former eleventh division member and his stalwart companions. He turned to Komamura, who trudged on ponderously though the sand. Come to think of it, he'd never seen the wolf-headed captain flash-step before. The lieutenant wondered if in fact he could; for Komamura's massive weight was causing him to sink deeply into the sand with every step – a potentially crippling factor should battle ensue. Izuru was a featherweight in comparison and traveled the fastest among the group, but tended to descend into self-destructive (and distracting) angst with unfortunate regularity. Then there was his third seat, Chikako; a sedate older shinigami. Her abilities placed her in the position of a dependable sentry who watched over the Ninth at night; but she lacked the innate fighting spirit to do anything more than obstruct.

Nope, Shuuhei pondered if Kira was right. Bringing a heavy fighter like Iba along might have been a better idea. Ahead and slightly to the right of them loomed the formidable silhouette of Las Noches; so large that it dominated the horizon despite being more than a day's journey away. However that wasn't where they were currently heading. Kotetsu Isane, the fastest lieutenant in the Gotei 13, had actually been trapped in Tousen's bankai and nearly passed through the failed garganta as well. The female kidou expert was certain that the pair and their arrancar ally were now outdoors and in Hueco Mundo. Now the small party trekked onward while Gorou endlessly scanned the dunes; stopping occasionally to turn his nose into the wind.

* * *

It was another hour before Ashido calmed sufficiently to be released. His initial agitation at the news of Aizen's betrayal; which triggered the momentary takeover of his hollow self, had cooled to a deliberate enmity for him and a deepened respect for Tousen. _Thank goodness Rukia had not been the one to bring it up_. He rubbed a chaffed arm before addressing those seated around the campfire. Nearby, Wonderwice and Nell made a sandcastle.

"Aside from returning to Sereitei or finding our way to the mortal realm; there is one other option open to us. I have heard many rumors from the hollows of the Menos Forest. Sosuke Aizen is not the only renegade shinigami who has come to power in Hueco Mundo. The hollows say he is a kind man; and he might grant us refuge."

"Didn't 'cha say ya were slayin' the menos? 'Tis surprising they'd talk to ya…"

"Those ones weren't menos…just regular hollows; they weren't interested in going to the human world and I had better things to do than kill them. They were recent visitors too, and hadn't heard of my reputation."

"Go on…Who is this shinigami?" Tousen urged Ashido. Though he continued to gaze sightlessly ahead, an expression of keen interest was written across his face.

"His name is Sojirou Kusaka, and he has taken several arrancar and hollows under his leadership. I doubt he is as ruthless or power-hungry as Aizen, for the hollows I spoke to also said he has little interest in attacking anyone."

Gin propped his head in his hand. "Now…So-ji-rou Ku-sa-ka…that name sounds familiar fer some reason."

"You know of him as well, Ichimaru-taichou?"

"I might, but I can't remember why. Somethin' to do with zanpakutou and the Academy. 'Twould be interestin' to know what he's doing out 'ere. He ain't a vizard too, is he?" Gin's look of puzzlement was genuine.

"That was the first question on my mind. The hollows don't seem to think so; which leads me to believe that he travels to the living world in order to obtain food and water."

"And he will take us there? You don't think you are relying too much on the statements of two hollows and potential enemies?" Tousen interjected, ignoring Pesche and Dondochakka's protests.

"If he's as compassionate as they say he is, yes. And I tend to trust statements made by enemies even more after they have been cowed into submission. Don't worry Captain; I did not hurt them."

Tousen nodded approvingly. "Then where can we find him?" Gin's familiarity with the name gave him some hope – there had to be some truth to Ashido's story.

"He has a small tower several days away; in the direction where the moon rises."

* * *

Several hours after the other party had left; Gorou was howling and yapping with excitement. The brown and white mongrel had found the campsite. The former owners of the clothes given to him to smell back in Sereitei had rested here for a considerable period of time.

Komamura's team examined the area. Gorou sniffed around the remains of the kidou-fuelled campfire before running back to the wolf captain. Sand had been carefully tossed over where Gin and Tousen's parted had rested, but it was not enough to throw off the tracking abilities of a trained hound. Komamura listened intently to his dog for a few moments before translating for the three other shinigami.

"They rested here and then moved off in that direction. Interestingly, they seem to be accompanied by a few hollows." Gorou continued to whine. "And one more shinigami."

"Perhaps the hollows departed Las Noches with them?" Shuuhei suggested.

"Isane only mentioned one," Kira answered, with a hint of confusion in his voice. "No matter. Hueco Mundo is filled with hollows. But I wonder if the shinigami is the same one Renji said he encountered."

"Kanou Ashido? Could be. I wonder what he's like."

Komamura rumbled deeply in assent. All present understood that the presence of so many additional followers was a cause for concern. Capturing two captains was already a difficult enough task. Chikako stood a little apart from them, not out of aloofness, but out of tension and uncertainty. Being the lowest ranked member of the group, she was a little startled when the massive captain suddenly sat down beside her, placing a paw gently over her shoulder. She'd been ordered to accompany the group as a warden and was starting to ponder if she was up to the task of battling her would-be charges and their lackeys as well.

Hisagi Shuuhei would have handled things differently; perhaps given her a pat on the back and an exhortation to keep moving. Tousen handled most of the Ninth's affairs and in a sense spoiled Shuuhei; who knew more about fighting than leading, coordinating and motivating a division. Chikako didn't resent the younger man's strength and energy, but sometimes wondered if her hair would have been less grey if she'd spent the past forty-five years serving a different lieutenant. In contrast, Komamura simply sat there without saying a word; and his sheer presence by itself calmed and reassured the third seat. When Chikako looked up into his eyes, she saw only the sadness and betrayal the other felt and his resolve to bring reason to the friends who had left him behind, and had the courage to stand by his side again.

If Komamura's steady resolve was the main force that bound his team to the pursuit; then equally it could be said that it was the fear of Aizen and his remaining minions which propelled Gin and Tousen's team in their headlong flight. Unknown to the former, ahead lay the territory of Sojirou Kusaka - the safe haven of a renegade but gentle shinigami and his allies. Bawabawa traveled quickly and bore his seven companions on his back, but frequently stopped to forage for food and rest in order to conserve his strength. Komamura's team rested regularly too, but did not need to hunt as they carried their own rations; nor did they have to put up with Nell's or Wonderwice's random games of tag amongst the dunes. Overall, they were slowly gaining on their quarry and the inevitable confrontation that lay ahead.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for taking so long to update…a lot of RL issues needed to be settled. I've never been a fan of writing long conversations and ended up rewriting many parts of this chapter multiple times. The next update should come sooner and I'm looking forward to writing another fic as well.

Gorou is an actual canon dog character! He is the pet of Sajin Komamura, and is an adopted mongrel that the captain is able to communicate with due to his ability to speak with animals.


	5. Chapter 5

"I ate them, and drank of them. I had no choice."

Two days later, Gin and Tousen's party was still on the move. Ashido winced at the recollection of the taste of a hollow's acrid flesh, and the sickening sensation within him that grew as the very nature of his being became slowly corrupted over two centuries. "Of the squad that became trapped in the Menos Forest, I was the sole survivor." Though he did not say the words aloud, Tousen could hear his unspoken sentiment as well. _I should have died._

"The consumption of hollows sustained me…kept me strong enough to keep on fighting them. I had no idea it would slowly turn me into _this_." Bitterness clung to Ashido's every word.

"But ye survived, neh? And you clung ta that hope."

Ashido turned his stare of loathing from himself to Gin. For once, he was not unnerved by the other captain's perpetual grin. "No. It was my duty as a shinigami – to destroy the menos before they could enter the human world."

"And yet, ya ain't exactly a shinigami any more."

"At least, I am not a traitor. If you and my captain did not choose to defect from Aizen's fold as well, I would venture so far as to say that I am probably more deserving of that title than you are."

"Now, now 'Athido'," Gin chuckled slightly at the discomfort he caused when he used other man's new nickname, "we all havta do what's most important fer our own survival. So ya din't go back to Sereitei…though ye _could_ have. Not 'cos of yer lofty sense of duty and whatnot, but because ye was a poor 'lil vizard. So much fer yer captain insisting yer a Man of Truth."

"…Yes." To lie now would make Ashido look bad in front of Tousen; but he made a comeback that pleasantly surprised even his blind captain. "As the decades passed, I lost more and more of myself; just to survive. _As you have also done_."

Nell and Wonderwice played with and chased each other alongside Bawabawa's rumbling bulk; too impatient and saddlesore to ride him for the whole journey. Seated near the rear, Dondochakka and Pesche watched to make sure neither fell behind. On some level, they were conscious of the fact that Gin and Tousen were running out of water, but had no idea how much further or faster they could goad Bawabawa; let alone how long Captain-class shinigami could survive without the precious liquid which was completely unnecessary to hollows, arrancar and vizards. Just then, Gin stood up; balancing on Bawabawa's head with newly-practiced ease. His lanky height afforded him a better view of his surroundings than everyone else, especially blind Tousen's; a fact he noted with a sneer. As the serpentine hollow climbed a dune, he could see a thin spire on the horizon. At that distance, looking at it directly made him question if it was a mere optical illusion – perhaps a natural rock formation eroded by the wind. But when he tilted his head to place it in his peripheral vision, it resolved itself into a thin tower of immense height and symmetrical construction, with a reflective sheen – one too smooth to be of anything but artificial origin.

He sat down again and gently nudged Bawabawa till the hollow adjusted their course to be perfectly in line with the tower. Though he was filled with renewed hope, Gin didn't bother to tell the others what he had seen and let Pesche take credit for being the first to sight the building; five hours later.

For reminding him of the innocence, independence and woman he left behind; Gin decided that the extra five hours of renewed doubt, self-recrimination and hunger was a fitting punishment for the vizard.

* * *

Tousen's thoughts were less troubled. He'd always operated with a clear conscience; his mind a pure, dark void occupied only by the thoughts he chose to process and Suzumushi's rhythmic chirping. He'd been this way long before he was forced to kill his comrades in the Ninth division. Working as part of Sereitei's investigative division required not only a strong sense of justice; it also required analytical acumen and the ability to follow the letter of the law. If that meant putting aside unwanted sentiment then so be it.

It had tormented him then. He quickly knew what became of criminals that did not fall to the Ninth's swords. The Maggot's Nest awaited those who held the slightest disagreement with any of the Central 46's tyrannical policies - a secret, eternal prison that kept its occupants alive because their crimes did not warrant execution, because of the 'disruption' they would cause to Soul Society. Tousen practically saluted Urahara's initiative in dissolving the Maggot's Nest and rehabilitating its occupants as productive members of the Twelfth. The Central 46 simply could not be bothered.

It was nothing but a powerful, corrupt cartel consisting of the heads of the various noble houses, each growing fat on oppressive Rukongai taxes and working to further his or her selfish goals in the guise of upholding the law. That usually meant silencing dissent in their own ranks, and once in the 'safe' confines of a division, every shinigami was considered associated with the nobility in some way. It was always stated that the Central 46 reported to the supreme command of the King of Soul Society…but not even the Captain General had seen or heard from the King in his two thousand years of service. Tousen was quite certain that the King, if he ever existed, had been disposed of or replaced long ago.

Entire clans had been destroyed, exiled or executed; down to the last child, on the consensus of the Central 46. Not even Captain Yamamoto could oppose them. The entirety of the Gotei 13 existed on the whim of this organization, its members commanded and culled just as casually. The Central 46 certainly thought nothing of commanding the execution of the vizards, Urahara and Yoruichi following the initial success of the Hougyokyu.

Come to think of it, weren't the shinigami prisoners themselves? Ensconced in Sereitei, they were in a gilded cage. Sheltered from the discontentment fermenting beyond its walls, they were then given the unending task of slaying hollows while repopulating Rukongai with more miserable souls. Enslaved as such, they could not help themselves if they had to slay the guilty and the pure alike; that included innocents such as Wonderwice, Ashido, and the lieutenant he had left behind.

For its reign of uncontrolled brutality, the Central 46 had to be eliminated. Aizen explained that in the power vacuum caused by their departure, the four young lieutenants they had sheltered would grow into strong, wise and benevolent leaders. Tousen had believed him then. He believed Aizen when he said the Hougyokyu would empower innocent hollows by turning them into arrancar of equivalent sentience to shinigami, able to negotiate and protect themselves from slaughter. He approved of the rapid destruction of the Central 46 at Gin's hands.

But then Aizen called his own bluff when he tried to kill Hinamori Momo. And on arrival in Las Noches, Tousen was greeted not by grateful arrancar refugees, but by Espada more cruel and murderous than any Central 46 judge.

Tousen lived to protect the innocent, and that now meant leaving Aizen. It was for the freedom and the future of people like Wonderwice, Nell, and the young lieutenants that the path of least bloodshed was forged.

* * *

In the end though, just spotting the tower did not equate to relief. Hueco Mundo was infinitely vast; and without knowing the exact height of the tower beforehand, it was impossible to extrapolate their precise distance from it. It loomed tantalizingly in the distance, but seemed to get no larger as the hours passed. That was the cruelest thing about the desert – you could die within sight of rescue; yet so many days away. Gin decided that their only sure course of action was to increase Bawabawa's speed. Oblivious to the hollow's groans of protest, all of the party clambered aboard as he was made to double his pace.

It would be a full two days later that the party finally drew up to the massive double doors of the tower. Bawabawa collapsed face-first into the sand, completely exhausted. Though barely able to talk through his parched throat, Tousen was still able to point out that it had been built by someone clearly wanting to flaunt his Earth connections – when examined up close, the tower turned out to be made from white marble, chemically known as calcium carbonate – in a landscape that contained only mineral silicates. The tower was divided by canopies into several levels that rose into the sky, and he could see that the nearest one was decorated by transparent sculptures of winged dragons, probably made of quartz. He expected Gin to come up with a witty retort regarding his effete interest in the finer points of geology; but was met with only silence. The other, frailer captain had fainted from thirst two hours ago.

On dismounting, Dondochakka returned the grateful Bawabawa to his maw while Pesche and Ashido carried Gin between them. Nell beat a playful tattoo on the doors and they could hear the sound echoing inside the building. At first there was no response. But the conscious members of the party gradually realized that the ambient temperature around them seemed to be rising. Puzzled, Ashido glanced to and fro to determine the source of the warmth; welcome though it was. Almost immediately, the sensation was accompanied by a buzzing of static electricity in the air, making his spiky hair stand even more rigidly.

Suddenly, fire and lightning arced across the doorway; crimson flames on the left and blue electricity on the right. The elements coalesced into two humanoid forms that stood before the threshold; eventually condensing into the figures of a pair of female arrancar. They were dressed similarly; the only differences were that one had red hair and wore gloves of the same color, while the other had blue hair and gloves. Despite their obvious attempts to look imposing, Tousen could sense their puzzlement at seeing shinigami and arrancar together.

"We are Ying and Yang, guardians of the Ice Dragon's Tower. Who are you and what brings you here?"

"I am Kaname Tousen, and these are my travelling companions," Tousen gestured weakly at the rest of the group. "Ichimaru Gin, Wonderwice Margera, Kanou Ashido, Nelial Tu Oderschvank, Dondochakka Bilstin and Pesche Gatische. We seek shelter and refuge, and passage to the human world."

Ashido bowed in assent. Dondochakka, still stung by the fact that Pesche spotted the tower first; felt prompted to interject, "Uhh…we come in peace, don'tcha know?" The other hollow slapped him in the back of the head, for stating the obvious; while Nell giggled and held up two fingers in imitation of Gin's peace sign at the campfire almost a week ago.

The twin arrancar could no longer hide their amusement. They laughed at Nell for a few moments before the one with the red hair replied warmly, "Our master welcomes all who come in peace. Those who turn their backs on petty racial hate will find respite in this tower. Ying, we'll need a stretcher for Ichimaru-san."

"Yes Yang, I'll prepare the healing chamber as well." The blue haired one traced a sigil on the right door, the one she had emerged from as elemental lightning; causing it to swing inward. Yang showed the exhausted travelers in, but halted them as soon as they had passed through the doorway.

"Our continued existence in Hueco Mundo depends on basic safety precautions. Until our master has known you long enough to determine if you are a threat, I would like to request that you hand over your zanpakutou." Yang still smiled. "We assure you that they will be returned on your departure or when he decides you can have them back, whichever is sooner."

Tousen hesitated, but Ashido stepped forward and presented his battered zanpakutou, hilt first, to Yang. Wonderwice glanced at Tousen worriedly. Ying was already removing Shinsou from Gin.

"Captain, this is a very commonsense procedure. I heard arrancar guests have surrendered their weapons before and had them returned. Please don't be alarmed."

"Alright, I understand." Tousen untied Suzumushi from his waist and handed him over.

The last to hand over his blade was Wonderwice. As the giant door slowly rumbled shut, the arrancar craned his neck to stare behind him. He uhhed quietly to himself; so softly that even Tousen's sensitive hearing could not pick up the remark above the sand rasping beneath the stone and the howling of the wind outside. Somewhere far behind, Wonderwice thought he heard a dog barking.

* * *

**A/N:** I did say this fic was going to contain massive spoilers….I know it's been ages since I updated; but real life issues were in the way and now I have the time to update more again. I do not forget about any of my fics :P


	6. Chapter 6

Gin dreamed.

Dreaming was a _good_ sign. It was the surest indicator he was still alive, even if he had collapsed within sight of the tower. It was better than the dreamless, deathlike void that occupied the time between dreams and waking; one that even sleeping shinigami captains had no awareness of, let alone control over. But with practice, one could dream lucidly; controlling the course of their dreams while fully aware that they were not real. Mastering the art of lucid dreaming had been a high priority for Gin, being the control freak that he was. He would never jolt awake in the middle of the night, heart thumping madly from some nightmare; nor would he mutter embarrassing statements in his sleep. As Gin passed through puberty he even learned to avoid nighttime emissions…unless that was what he wanted, of course. Harnessed to his imagination alone, Gin's dreams granted him true respite and freedom.

Now he dreamed of Matsumoto as she had been when they were younger. They were in the Academy still, before Aizen first approached him, before her captain had even been born. No longer living off the streets, they were finally free to hold each other sometimes; and they waxed in strength as the months passed. Then Aizen took him away, and after that point, he had to banish her from his dreams.

So why was she back now? Gin didn't dare to hope that he would see her again even if he had escaped Aizen. Even now, there was a dark shape still coiled around her…

Shinsou. Gin gritted his teeth.

The teenage Matsumoto still chatted cheerfully with other academy students in a corridor, all oblivious to the weight and presence of the oily black serpent wrapped around her waist. Shinsou, the only dream element Gin could not control (since he was an independent entity) had summoned her memory from the depths of his subconscious for a reason.

Gin stretched out his hand, intending to grab Shinsou's head to force a conversation; but realized that in reaching for the invisible snake, he would appear to be molesting her in front of the other students. At any rate, when Matsumoto turned towards Gin, he realized the crafty spirit had positioned his head….oh for god's sake…in her ample cleavage. The naga didn't even bother to look at Gin. Instead he flicked out an impossibly long, forked tongue to slowly caress Matsumoto's chin.

Gin frowned in increasing agitation. Shinsou finally deigned to acknowledge Gin out of the corner of one eyeless socket.

_You want a ssecond chance, yess? Don't let go of her thiss time. But ssomeone might make it harder for you…_

Before Gin could figure out how to reply, Shinsou's form became increasingly transparent. Smooth, rounded scales merged to form a polished surface, while the head lengthened into a more draconic shape. Flaming red eyes glowed where previously there were none. Gin immediately recognized the form.

"Hyourinmaru? Well of course…I already know her 'lil 'Shiro-chan' ain't gonna be happy to see me."

Once Gin spoke aloud, Matsumoto turned to face him with an expression of curiosity. But Gin stepped away from her in horror. Because Shinsou (or was it Hyourinmaru?) suddenly grew alarmingly in size, until the icy coils completely obscured Matsumoto from view. She started screaming now, as if suddenly aware of her predicament, and the ice dragon slowly wound his coils tighter, the frosted surfaces grating together in a sickening counterpart to her agonized shrieks. The students she was speaking to earlier fled in terror, their own screams mixing with the sound of snapping timber as the rapidly expanding dragon's body burst through wooden walls on every side.

Hyourinmaru was mind-bogglingly massive compared to Shinsou. With no further regard for his safety, Gin threw his spindly teenage self at the monster, beating his fists on polished ice to absolutely no effect. Then in a single nauseating crunch of ice and bone, the coils constricted with a sudden jerk…and the screaming abruptly stopped.

Having long since lost emotional control over this nightmare, Gin turned to flee as well; but something pierced through his panic and froze him in his tracks. Against his better instincts, Gin turned around.

Hyourinmaru was still there. Blood now oozed disgustingly between the loosened coils. But it was Shinsou's sibilant voice hissing through the dragon's lips.

_"The ansswer is yess…and no."_

* * *

Unaware of Gin's troubled sleep, the rest of the party dined with their host. Sojirou's home was warm and well-stocked with material comforts from the human world. Though not extravagant, the dining hall was well- lit by rows of lanterns on the walls; while padded wooden chairs provided comfortable seating around a large, central table. The food and drink was ample and fresh; and also clearly of Earth origin. Tousen and Ashido ate and drank ravenously while the hollows respectfully consumed a more modest amount, having had the opportunity to forage for food during the journey. Nell and her companions spent most of their time chatting among themselves.

"So you have turned away from the former captain of the Fifth, and wish to evade him now?"

Tousen politely swallowed a mouthful of tuna sushi before he replied, "Yes." Beyond what he had been told by Gin and Ashido, he knew no more about his host and did not want to risk offending him. Once he had something to drink, he'd frankly and politely discussed their circumstances in response to Sojirou's questions. Intriguingly, like the vizard, Kusaka Sojiro wore a hollow skull as a mask; though this air of mystery did not intrigue Tousen as much as it fascinated Wonderwice. Being blind, he couldn't think of a good excuse to ask his host to reveal a face he could not see. Wonderwice sat beside Sojiro and grinned eagerly at the man; before lunging suddenly and sticking a bony finger into one of the masks numerous slits.

"Ahh? Unh-uh?"

Instantly silence reigned, until Dondochakka whimpered in nervousness. Sojirou did not move or react to the sudden probing for several seconds. _Wonderwice…you idiot_; Tousen winced inwardly. Then unexpectedly, Sojirou chuckled.

"It's ok Wonderwice…you can take it off and play with it for a while, if you like." The arrancar immediately did so and the atmosphere in the room calmed immensely. Though relieved, Tousen inwardly cursed his blindness – for him, the removal of the mask only clarified that their host was indeed a shinigami and gave him no further impression. He knew what some faces were like, even if he stared past them; and the play of subtle contours that gave them individuality and expression. He knew the feel of Gin's bony cheekbones as well as he knew Aizen's slicked hair and Hisagi's three vertical scars. Wonderwice's bony crown was easily distinguished, and Komamura's luxurious pelt was even more unmistakable. Few people ever offered their face to the touch of a blind man, to let them form a tactile image that would be remembered for life…

Tousen felt Sojiro's hand grasp his own. He felt the other shinigami lift his hand upwards, until his fingers encountered Sojirou's face. A rare smile moved Tousen's lips. It was a touching and deeply understanding gesture, one that he experienced only rarely in Soul Society and never in Las Noches.

Sojirou seemed to be a surprisingly young shinigami, his skin supple and smooth; with long hair framing angular features and a gentle smile. As his fingers travelled to the right of Sojirou's face, from the centre of his host's cheek and upwards, he could feel the skin suddenly wrinkle into a mass of scar tissue.

_So this is why he wears the mask_, Tousen realized. "Thank you." He hoped Sojirou could sense in his words how much the gesture meant to him, above the sound of Wonderwice murmuring contentedly over his new toy.

"Don't be afraid to ask anything of me. I am sure you must be wondering the reason for our hospitality. We do not get visitors often, and you are the first castaways of Soul Society I have encountered here."

"I must first apologize for my companion…he seems fascinated by masks when they are worn by beings other than hollows. But yes, I cannot help but wonder."

"I sympathize with you as I have also fled Sereitei; in fact it is the cause of my scar. Like you, I don't blame the Gotei 13 – the Central 46 commanded this injustice. The only reason I don't live permanently in the human world now is because my place is with Ying and Yang, here in Hueco Mundo. Like Nell and her companions, they are endangered simply because they do not want to ally themselves with Aizen."

"I see. I'm deeply moved by your assistance, Kusaka-san."

"Please, just call me 'Sojirou'. Once your companion has fully recovered, we will gladly create a garganta to the human world."

"To be truthful, I'm not sure Nell and her brothers would want follow us there. They only wish to avoid Aizen and the Espada."

Sojirou furrowed his brow slightly, and then shrugged. "Hueco Mundo is a harsh and lonely place for a little girl, even though I sense she is more powerful than she appears. They can stay with us – "

He was cut short by Gin entering the hall through a side door, accompanied by Ying. The thin shinigami was connected to an intravenous drip stand which he pushed ahead of him, but wore his usual, thin-lipped smile.

"Ah, I see our savior dines with us! And from yer conversation I realize Tousen 'ere's told ya our sad 'lil tale. So what did'ya do to rile 'em, eh? The Central 46, if you catch my drift…"

"Gin, just quit eavesdropping. Sit and eat." Tousen snapped. They were in no position to annoy their host.

"Ne, I'm only curious. What wuzzit? Stole somethin' big? Stabbed a lieutenant? Sodomised a Kuchiki?"

"Gin, SHUT UP." Even as Tousen spoke, he could sense Sojirou inhaling sharply. Gin made his way to sit next to Ashido, ignoring the vizard's disgust.

"On the contrary, it was nothing of that sort, " Sojirou curtly replied. "They merely didn't like the fact that I happen to share the same zanpakutou as one Toshiro Hitsugaya…"

* * *

Kira stared at the doors, almost willing them to open under his gaze. They didn't, so he slipped the binoculars into his robes, gulped another mouthful out of his water flask and scampered quickly to where Komamura and the others were camped. Whoever lived in the tower didn't seem to care about his presence – though he hadn't spotted any sentries, he doubted that a mere sand-colored cloak was sufficient to disguise him from someone powerful enough to erect a magical tower out of nowhere.

"Do you think its Aizen's?" he asked the captain, who was currently picking sand grains out of his ears. Komamura shook his head and grunted. "From what we've seen of Las Noches and other secondary buildings erected by Aizen; this one does not fit the usual architectural theme," he replied. "None of Aizen's buildings are terraced like that. I have no idea who built it – my guess would be one or more independent arrancar."

"If this is built by a powerful arrancar, our former captains may be relying on help from them to escape to the human world. We have to confront them now." Hisagi added thoughtfully.

"Well, we can assume a few things. One, the occupants of the tower are not interested in fighting us. Any lookout could have spotted us from miles away and observed my approach. Two, there is no fighting going on within the tower itself; I did not sense the flare of reiatsu in combat and believe Gin and Tousen have not come under attack." Kira sounded optimistic. He was sick of the endless chase over the dunes especially since he was usually asked to scout ahead due to his swiftness.

"If the tower contains arrancar who seem to want to avoid bloodshed; then I don't think I mind meeting them. If we can persuade Tousen and Gin to cooperate and return to Soul Society; this will not end in violence." Once he had spoken, Komamura rose to go to the tower; plodding slowly through the sand.

Kira still ventured ahead of the group to approach the double doors, despite his fatigue. The bleak despair that hung over him seemed to lift with each step he took in its direction; to be replaced by a fervent and desperate hope.

_Come back, my captain…_he silently begged.

_Please._


End file.
